Kombucha, the
old Red Bull, is a fermented tea that is said to have tremendous health
benefits, the foremost of which is an abundance of energy without the megavolts
of caffeine. Real or myth, the beverage is flying off the shelves in places
like Woodman's, Choices Natural Market and Nutrition Works. Some stores sell
the "culture" for use in home brew.
Research is
limited on this far-less-dangerous energy drink that has been touted for
centuries. The history of Kambucha may have originated in China where it was
supposedly known as "Godly Tsche" (tea) during the Chinese Qin
Dynasty (221-206 BCE).
Do we really
need research or are centuries of anecdotal evidence enough?
Kombucha can be
easily made at home by fermenting black tea or green tea using a yeast-like
substance referred to as the "mushroom" or "mother," and
with the help of bacteria, forms the kombucha.
The mass is stored in a ball jar that is best topped with cheesecloth
instead of a lid to allow the safest growth. The glass jar is kept on your
countertop away from direct sunlight, constant vibration or temperature change.
The
"culture" (often compared to sourdough) mainly contains a symbiosis
of aacetobacter (acetic acid bacteria) and one or more yeasts. The culture itself looks somewhat like a
giant scallop growing sideways and acts like a mushroom or "Symbiotic
Colony of Bacteria and Yeast." It slowly expands and can be split into
additional jars and used for more tea or cheap gifts.
All you do is get a culture in a jar and
when the juice is ready to be harvested in a week or two, leave a little in the
bottom. Then make enough brewed black tea or green tea mixed with sugar to
replace what is taken out. Store the
Kombucha blend in a dark bottle in your refrigerator. The addition of flavored
teas are helpful to defray the vinegary taste. Kombucha juice is often mixed
with fruit juices to soften the taste.
Keep the culture covered in tea and split it by separating the layers and
creating a new jar. The contamination rate by the home brewer is low. Those who
suffer from immunosuppression should consume commercial kombucha beverages. The
porous cloth on top prevents contamination by bugs, dust and other bacteria
while allowing the jar to breathe. Liquid from the previous batch will preserve
some of the culture.
The bacteria
and yeasts in kombucha may also produce antimicrobial defense molecules and
this all-day energy brew also detoxifies the body -- hardly anything magical
about it. Those who can't tolerate acidic drinks beware.
Kombucha
contains less than 0.5% alcohol, which classifies it as a non-alcoholic
beverage. Older, more acidic kombucha might contain 1.0% alcohol and fizz,
depending on brewing time and higher proportions of sugar and yeast.
Lindsay Lohan
made the alcohol content famous when she was filmed drinking it while being
court-ordered to abstain from alcohol. Kambucha was pulled from store shelves
for several months to change labeling to reflect its mild alcohol content.
The return of
this holistic monster drink was a welcome boost to thirsty retailers and
convinced consumers.
For more info
on how to obtain a raw kombucha culture, email me at rgubbe@yahoo.com
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